Showing results by author "Karla Gracey" in All Categories

Immerse yourself in nine mail order bride stories in the Sun River Brides series. Come along for the ride to meet feisty Boston city girls who know what they want, and rugged Montana men who just need to be loved. It's 1900, and things are changing fast in sleepy Sun River. As the town begins to expand, its inhabitants are getting restless, looking for love and adventure.

Aidan O'Shaunessy has been working hard; down the mines by day and trying to get his land in order by night. But finally he has the money he needs to buy the dairy herd he needs to salvage his family's heritage. But he is lonely and craves the love of a good woman. Meredith Lisle was born into privilege, but her comfortable life has been ripped from her grasp by the tragic deaths of her beloved parents. Courageous to the last, she takes her future into her own hands, but can she banish the ghosts from Aidan's past?

Silver River is a little town full of strong men who followed the trail west to Montana hoping to get rich from the Silver Rush that gave this picturesque valley its name. Many of them are lonely, but their pioneering spirit means they make their own luck. As the town begins to expand, its inhabitants are getting restless, looking for love and adventure.

Unlike other women her age, Anna MacDonald has never set much hope on finding herself a husband. Far more important is the task of finding a position of employment...in a society that is untrusting of female doctors, that has proven challenging so far, to say the least. So, Anna resigns herself to replying to a collection of advertisements from men seeking mail-order brides. Who knows? Maybe one of them might even live in a town that would welcome her as a doctor. But what man would ever want a wife who places her career above family?

Clara Weston is facing an uncertain future. Her army captain father has been killed in battle, leaving Clara and her elderly grandmother, Eugenia, alone to fend for themselves. Feisty and tenacious, Eugenia isn’t about to let her granddaughter throw her life away - and so she advertises on Clara’s behalf as a mail-order bride. Clara and her grandmother set out for Iron Creek. But the journey is long and hard going - and things only get worse as their wagon train crosses paths with a gang of bandits.

As an orphan who was raised by the Chippewa Indian tribe, Garrett Harding has grown up caught between two worlds. But now, he has had enough of the loneliness - now, Garrett wants a wife. Katy Jones is desperate. After a deadly pandemic left her a widow, Katy now finds herself trapped in a disease-ridden town. Needing a way out of town fast, Katy advertises as a mail-order bride, and it seems that fortune is on her side when Garrett sends her his reply.

Welcome to Texas and the growing town of Ruby Springs - a place where dreams can come true and fortunes made if you are brave enough to take a chance. Handsome and tough heroes with a softer side meet plucky and determined ladies who want more than society thinks they should.

Bored and lonely New York socialite, Carolynne Forbes, longs to leave her wealthy past behind her and become a musician. She has both the talent and the dedication required, but does not know how to defy her family's expectations, or Society's rules. But a chance meeting with an acknowledged rake sparks her courage to find out if she truly does have what it takes. But can she convince him that he is as deserving of happiness and fulfillment in his own life too?

Bryony Shaw has never before thought of leaving Baltimore and her safe place in service, but things change for her when she is forced to become the nanny of her employer's son, Edwin. Finally finding the courage of her convictions, she confronts them about their lack of care. An orphan herself, she knows the pain of feeling abandoned and cannot bear the thought of such a young boy feeling that way, too. But what follows, nobody would ever have expected.

Bernadette Havering is a vivacious and independent woman. She knows her mind and never intends to let a man dictate what she should or should not be able to do. In a world where women having a job is frowned upon, she longs for a profession and wants to make history by becoming one of the very first women in the United States of America to gain a law license. But why should she give up a husband and family in order to do so? Can she truly have both?

For Carl Hennigan, Iron Creek is more than just a town—it is a chance. His chance to start over. To live a life of his own. To teach and do what makes his heart happy. As Carl settles in Iron Creek, he can’t help thinking that his new life wants for nothing—except perhaps somebody to share it with. Just as Carl is about to take the chance and advertise for a wife, he finds another listing from a young woman. Her replies intrigue him, as does the fact that she keeps her full identity hidden. But could there be more connecting them than Carl realizes?

Why would an accomplished governess respond to an advertisement in the Matrimonial Times? Myra Gilbert had never considered such a thing, but something has awoken within her and she is determined to take her chance on love. Carlton Green claimed his lands, and now has the deeds in his grasp. But something is missing in his life. Will his quest to find love fill that hole, or is there something from his past that could change everything and leave him with nothing?

Isabelle Landry is beautiful, wealthy, and courted within the highest echelons of Massachusetts' society. But every man her Mama thinks a suitable match, she finds dull and often repulsive. She longs for a simpler life, one where her worth has nothing to do with her annual income or her vast inheritance. A new friend gives her the confidence to follow her own path, and she answers an advertisement, praying it might change her life forever.

Elise Mitchell is no stranger to traveling huge distances to follow her heart, but this time she is making the move to take back control. Tragically widowed and with a young son to look out for, she finds herself beholden to her husband's family and their grip is chafing. Having come from Scotland, she knows the mountains and the fresh air will be a tonic for her and her son, Bailey, but will the wilds of Montana be far enough away for her to be free of the Mitchell's clutches?

Annie Cahill has had a tough life, forced to leave home and work from an early age to support her sick mama and younger siblings. Always the one everybody else could rely on, she decides to finally reach out to take something for herself. But will she find the courage to see it through? Mackenzie Stott spends his life surrounded by cattle, and loves the peace and solitude his life in Montana offers. But he has a past and isn't sure he will ever find anyone who can see past it.

Maggie Smith left her home and family behind her to forge a successful career. But she is beginning to wonder if it truly was worth all the sacrifices she has made. But her desire for a family and loving partner may be a challenge too far. Has she already had everything she dreamed of, and foolishly pushed it away? Ethan Cahill has spent most of his adult years alone, wandering wherever he could find work. His family's newly found luck has given him the stability he once craved. But is it enough? Find out.

Mariella Montague has grown up surrounded by wealth and privilege, but she has a kind heart and a generous spirit. When she is not volunteering her services and her allowance to charitable events though, she often feels out of step with her world. When her world crumbles around her, she takes the bold step of moving to Montana, where she unexpectedly finds a true home and the answers that were always out of reach.

When everything you know and believe is telling you "no", do you have the strength to listen to the true voice of your heart? Far away in Iron Creek, stagecoach driver Nelson Gustavson is fighting his own loneliness and places an advert for a bride. As replies flood in, he begins to fear that he’ll have to settle for someone, or search hard to make a connection. That is, until he finds Bronwen’s letter, a blunt and honest reply that he feels compelled to respond to. As Bronwen and Nelson connect through their letters, she feels his warmth radiate through his honesty.

Catherine Parker has been brought up in the lap of luxury, and has always expected she would someday make an expedient marriage, but when her Papa insists she marry a man she knows he despises, she has no choice. But will she find the love and companionship she craves, or is she merely trading one kind of hell for another? Can she trust a stranger to care more for her than her own father?

For the most part, Geoffrey Drayton is content with his life in Iron Creek. Having thrown himself into work since the death of his wife, Geoffrey is now the most popular carpenter in town. But the life of a widower is a lonely and empty one. After watching so many of his friends find happiness with mail-order brides, Geoffrey decides it is time for him to take a chance—and advertises for a bride of his own.